Hometeam: St. Peter-Marian's Gallo sisters stymie Notre Dame

Monday

Apr 14, 2014 at 10:16 PMApr 14, 2014 at 10:19 PM

By Mike Richard CORRESPONDENT

WORCESTER — Erin Gallo struck out 15, and her sister Deirdre had three hits, including a triple and two-run homer, to lead St. Peter-Marian to a 7-2 softball victory over host Notre Dame Academy on Monday.

Erin Gallo allowed four hits. She struck out the side in the first and second innings as she pitched out of situations with runners on base.

"I didn't feel great at first, but I just had to go and stick it out and do my best," Erin Gallo said. "I like to mix in a lot of different pitches, and it worked for me today."

While her fastball had some zip, catching the Rebels looking on several occasions, she was also able to freeze them with her knee-buckling changeup.

"We're incredibly happy," Guardians coach Steve Wagner said. "Notre Dame's a tough team, they have a great program and Casey Arpin is a terrific pitcher. But our girls came ready to play."

St. Peter-Marian rapped 11 hits and took advantage of a couple of uncharacteristic errors by the Rebels to move to 3-1. NDA evened its mark at 2-2.

"Give (Gallo) credit, she struck out quite a few girls," Rebels coach Ed Savage said. "We didn't make contact very well against her."

The Guardians broke up a scoreless game against Arpin when Deirdre Gallo roped a two-out triple to left in the top of the third. She scored when Briana Tortora singled off the glove of the second baseman.

Then, after a stolen base, Erin Gallo was hit by a pitch and Hayley Novia ripped a low liner to right for a 2-0 lead.

The Rebels got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Molly Terry walked and stole second. She came around on a two-out single to center by Caroline Andreoli.

St. Peter-Marian scored two more runs in the fourth. Eighth-grader Jodie Opuda singled to left and Emilie Kasper followed with a bunt, and after the throw hit Kasper in the back, there were runners on the corners. Kelley Plourde grounded out for a run, and then Deidre Gallo dropped a bunt down for another run to make it 4-1.

The Guardians put it away in the top of the sixth when Kasper singled to left and moved to second on an error. Plourde reached on another error for a run before Deirdre Gallo blasted a two-run homer for a 7-1 lead.

NDA's Gabby Montoya closed out scoring in the last of the seventh when she slammed a two-out home run to left for the 7-2 final.

"Unfortunately we made some mistakes, we dropped a popup, and we didn't field the bunts very well," said Savage, "so instead of giving up one or two runs, we give up seven runs."

Emily Powers and Opuda each had two hits for SPM.

"We took advantage of some of their mistakes," Wagner said. "We've been stressing to put pressure on the other team, we have confident in our batters."